Video:Invictus-Morgan Freeman and Mace Neufeld Interviews

Transcript:Invictus-Morgan Freeman and Mace Neufeld Interviews

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the LA Premiere of Warner Bros Pictures' Invictus.

Morgan Freeman – 'Nelson Mandela' in Invictus

Were you nervous while taking on the part of Nelson Mandela?

Morgan Freeman: "To be honest, no, there are no nerves in acting. I had nerves starting in because I had to get an accent down. I had to somehow sound like him. And that caused me a little concern. But I wasn't overly concerned because it felt like, you know, you're going to do something, you just hope what you do is right."

How do you explain the chemistry between you and Clint Eastwood?

Morgan Freeman: "I have no idea why you can come together with someone, you can see someone across a crowded room and sparks fly. Things happen that you know happened. Same thing with Clint Eastwood. I've been a big fan of his work forever. He called me to say, 'Come ride with me,' on Unforgiven and that was such a ride. And the fact that we had the great good fortune to find another project to do in Million Dollar Baby was just like, 'Okay, fine, are we done yet?' 'No!'"

What do you want audiences to walk away from this film thinking?

Morgan Freeman: "I think that it's an inspirational film. I think that the story of Mandela and the Francois Pienaar, what they did together, how they came together and brought that country together, that's a story for keeps."

Invictus Producer Mace Neufeld

This was very important that you get Mandela's support behind the film. How easy was that to do?

Mace Neufeld: "It was fairly easy because of Morgan and Lori McCreary. They had been trying for a long time to do Nelson Mandela's autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom. It was very difficult to take that long thing. And then we both at about the same time, Lori and Morgan and I saw this new book proposal and we thought, 'Wow, that's a way to tell the story around the sporting event.' Tony Peckham wrote a brilliant script, happened to be South African, happened to be a very small rugby player. And he said, 'You know, I can hit this one out of the park.' And when we finally got the script Morgan said, 'Well, the director I trust most in the world is Clint Eastwood.' And I said, 'Oh, yeah, that's great but how are you going to…?' And he said, 'He'll read the script for me.' And he read the script, about six weeks he took and I thought, 'Oh well, that's not going to happen.' And then he called Morgan and he said, 'I'm sorry. I've been on vacation but I really like this. Why don't we have dinner?' And then we all had dinner and I thought he was just going to discuss it, but he was already talking about how he was going to shoot it, when they were going to shoot it. And so it's very exciting to me."

How important is it to tell this particular story of Mandela's because a lot of people don't know it?

Mace Neufeld: "Rugby fans know it. As they say in the movie, 'A billion people will be watching this game.' Not in America – but around the world. And the story of trying to forgive your enemies and bring them together, that's what's so amazing about this."

Are you going to be instrumental in bringing the Jack Ryan franchise back around?

Mace Neufeld: "I'm working on it."

Is it true about the cast? Is it set now?

Mace Neufeld: "We've been talking to Chris Pine."

Has he said yes?

Mace Neufeld: "I think they're in negotiations now."

I think he would be really good in that role. So it's going to go back to the beginning?

Mace Neufeld: "Yeah."

But not necessarily an origin story?

Mace Neufeld: "No, no. It picks him up a little later."

But it's action-packed?

Mace Neufeld: "Action-packed and the thinking man's hero."

More on Invictus:

Invictus Photos

Invictus Interviews, Poster, Credits, Trailer and Clips